Burial-vault.



Patented Apr. 7, 19.14l

H. T. REESE.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25. 1913.

ctLuMBlA FLANOQRAPH Cc., WASHINGTON, D, C,

. T. REESE.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. z5, 191s.

COLUMBIA PLANolnz/mll Co.. WAsHxNuToN. D. c,

sa; TEU STATE@ PATENT FFTQE.

HERBERT T. REESE, OF SPRNGFIELD, HIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPRNGFIELD METAL- LIC GASKET COMPANY, 0F SRINGFIELD, OHIO, A OORPORATIQN 0F OHIO.

BURIAL-VAULT.

The object of the invention is to provide a bolt which is not only adapted for locking the closure in position but which may also be utilized for clamping the closure firmly to the casing so as to provide a water tight joint; the particular object being to provide a bolt which will adjust itself to any irregularities in the surface of the part against which it is clamped, and also a bolt which will be adapted to adjust itself to curved surfaces.

The 'invention consists in the constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the vault, showing the inner side of the door of the vault and the locking mechanism, said locking mechanism being in unlocking position and embodying the features of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. a is a detail of one of the locking bolts and a portion of the casing shown in section, the bolt being shown in locking position. Fig. 5 is a section on the line g/-g/ of Fig. 4.-. Fig. 6 is a detail of a part of the locking mechanism.

Like parts are represented by similar characters of reference in the several views.

In the locking mechanism for vaults of the character to which this invention relates, it has been common to provide a series of locking bolts, in the nature of locking frames, generally four in number, one respectively for the top, bottom and sides. These locking frames have been provided with a series of bolts proper and means have been provided for projecting the frames to locking position and then tilting or swinging the frames to clamping position to draw the parts together so as to provide a water tight joint. Diiiculty has been experienced however in causing all of the bolts proper of any frame Specification of Letters Patent.

I Application filed August 25, 1913.

Patented apr. c, 1914..

Serial No. 786,581.

to clamp with equal pressure upon the rim of the casing, because of irregularity in the construction, and more especially at the top of the casing because of the fact that the top 1s generally formed of a rounding nature or on the arc of a circle; this difficulty having been due to the fact that heretofore the locking frames have been constructed of a rigid nature which would prevent the respective bolts proper, of any one frame, from adjusting themselves to the irregular surface or to the curvature of the surface. Before describing in detail the improved construction of the locking bolt, an explanation will first be made of the manner of operating these` bolts to locking and clamping position.

In the said drawings, 1 represents the vault casing, which has near the open end thereof an inturned flange 2.

The door of the vault is represented by 3, and may be of any usual construction and is adaptedto close the open end of the structure. Screw threaded in a centrally arranged thimble 4 secured to the door 3, is a sleeve 5, having a squared outer end 5a to receive a wrench or other tool. Journaled in the screw-threaded sleeve 5 is a shaft 6, also having a squared outer end 6a to receive a wrench or other tool, and having secured to its inner end a collar 7 to which is made fast a pinion 8. The teeth of the pinion 8 are in mesh with the teeth of a series of four cam wheels 9, 10, 11 and 12, j ournaled to the arms of a spider 13, loosely mounted upon the unthreaded end 5b of the screw-threaded sleeve 5. Each of these cam wheels has a cam groove 14 which receive projecting pins 15 on the inner ends of a series of four locking bolts or frames 17, 18, 19 and 20. The bolts proper 21, of these locking frames, project through a series of clips or keepers 22, pivotally connected to rods 23, 24, 25 and .26, which lrods are supported at their respective ends in ears 27 projecting from the door. Each of the locking bolts is provided at its inner end with a slot 28 into which projects a pin 29 on the outer end of each of the arms of the spider 13, and in order that the inner end of the locking frames may be held in position on these pins, there are provided two cross bars 30 and 31, of a resilient nature, each of which is perforated at its respective ends to receive the pins 29, and are held in position by cotter pins 32, the said bars crossing each other and bearing against the inner end of the collar 7; these cross bars also serving to brace the arms of the spider when the parts are operated in the manner hereinafter described.

The operation is as follows: The door having been placed in position against the vault, with a gasket or packing 33 between its edge and the flange 2, the shaft 6 is revolved, thus revolving the cam wheels 9, 10, 11 and 12, through the medium of the pinion 8. This projects all theY locking bolts outwardly in line with the flange 2. rI`he screw-threaded sleeve 5 is next revolved,

which forces all the parts to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon, the keepers 22, acting as fulcrums, the outer ends of the bolts will be caused t0 impinge against theE inner side of the flange 2, thus clampingv thev door firmly in position against the packing. Secured to the collar 7 is a second collar 34, having a perforated enlargement 34a in'` which is .located a plunger 35, having thereon. a coil spring 36 interposed between the enlargement and a small pin 37 this plunger being normally held in retracted position by a cotter pin 38, placed in a perforation in the flange on the inner side of the enlargement. Before the door vis placed in position, this cotter pin 88 is removed, the outer end of the plunger extending into a perforation in the pinion 8. Located at'a suitable point in the spider is a perforation.

39, and so soon as the plunger coincides with this perforation 39, it will be forced into same and thus lock the shaft G against revo- .lution to prevent the withdrawal of the bolts. Means are also provided for locking `Ithe bolts in their tilted position -so as to prevent the unclamping of the same, which,

ywhile not permit-ting access to the vault,

would nevertheless result in destroying the water-tight joint. Pivoted at 4t2 to linwardly extending ears on the door, is a seriesV of shouldered locking lingers 40, one foreach locking frame, which fingers normally` pro- Y vault and the inturned flange 2 projecting from: said top, are formed on the'arc of a -circle,.so as -to form a rounded top for the vault, which is the usual construction of delvicesof this kind. yIt will also be observed that it is necessary to arrange the Arespective bolts 21 of the-frame 17 .at different angles with respect to each other so that their outer ends vwill be Yat different distancesfromV the pin 15, which is the point vat which the Vframe was' a yrigid one,fit will be seen that Ywhen the same was tilted to clamping posi-Y tion the inner bolts of the .frame would be the first to contact the rim 2, inasmuch as all of the bolts project at the same angle from the frame, and that no clamping effect whatever would be obtained from the outside and intermediate bolts. To overcome this difficulty, I have constructed the frame 17 in two parts, 17a and 17h, the pin 15 serving to connect the parts together; the respective members of said frame being provided with perforated ears 17C, for lthe purpose, the perforations in said ears being somewhat larger than the diameter of the pin so as to provide for a loose fit. The member 17b also preferably has a projecting guide 17d, having an inturned end adapted to embrace a portion of the frame-member 17a so as to further assist in holding the respect-ive members of the frame together but permitting a movement of the same with respect to each other. The result of this construction is, that as the frame is tilted,the contact of the inner bolts proper with the iiange 2 will cause the frame to bow at the center sufficiently to permit the outer and intermediate bolts to also contact the flange 2 and thus cause all of the bolts of this frame 17 to clamp the door to the ange uniformly throughout the entire width of the top.

The other locking frames may also beconstructed in two parts, but in the present case I have shown but one of them, the 'lower one, so formed. l/Vhile the lower flange2 is formed on a straight line and consequently there would not be the same necessity Voffdividing this lower locking frame, yet in some cases, due to faulty construction, these,

flanges 2 are irregular incontour.V

The construction of the lower frame 19 is the same as that of the upper frame, with the exception that the bolts, all project at the same angle,vbut by forming this Aframe in two parts, these bolts will .be permitted to seat themselves more 'uniformly .on the flange 2, if for anyreason -there should be any irregularity vin the construction of the Same.

locking frames, one'or .more of sa-id *framesV being constructed in two sections flexibly connected together, .and means for moving said locking frames to locking position over said rim and for causing the same to im- `pinge said rim.

2. VIn a vault closure, thev combination, with a door and alc-asing havingan inwardly extending rim,Vv alocking mechanism consisting in part of fa seriesof lockingframes, one ori-more of said locking frames Vheing formed in two sections with a series of bolts on each of said sections, said sections being flexibly connected together, and means for throwing said locking frames to looking position and for causing the same to impinge said rim.

3. In a vault closure, the combination with a door and a casing having an inwardly extending rim having one of its sides formed on the arc of a circle, a locking mechanism consisting in part of a series of looking frames, the locking frame corresponding to the curved part of lthe rim being formed in two sections flexibly connected together, and means for throwing said locking frame to locking position over said curved rim and for tilting the same to clamping position.

4. In a vault closure, the combination, with a door and a casing, an inwardly eX- tending rim on said casing having one of its sides formed on the arc of a Circle7 a locking mechanism consist-ing in part of a series of locking frames, the locking frame corresponding to the curved part of said rim being formed in two sections flexibly connected together, a series of bolts on said last mentioned locking frame formed rigid therewith and projecting in different directions, and means for throwing said frame to locking position to cause said bolts to extend over said curved rim and for causing said bolts to impinge said rim.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of August 1913.

HERBERT T. REESE. Witnesses R. C. PHELPs, CHAS. I. WELCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. i 

